See the Northern Lights in Iceland

Iceland’s most popular – and photogenic – geothermal pool is surrounded by black lava fields and framed by the steaming towers of the Svartsengi geothermal plant. It’s an otherworldly place that looks like something out of a science-fiction movie – and an essential experience to tick off your Icelandic bucket list.

Averaging 37–39°C, the steaming pools are actually a by-product from the power plant, but don’t let that deter you. The waters are rich in minerals and silica, absorbed from the volcanic bedrock, a tonic for skin inflammation.

The psychedelic, blue-green water comes from naturally occurring algae which thrive in the balmy water.

A cruise around Iceland reveals melancholy landscapes of massive U-shaped valleys carved by ancient glaciers, with long ribbons of waterfalls plunging into blue-green fjords.

You’ll see lunar landscapes of spiked rocks, spouting geysers and jauntily coloured fishing villages, tiny against the vast landscapes. Days are spent hiking, whale-watching – especially around Husavik – and venturing inland for unusual excursions, not least a chance to travel deep inside the Langjökull glacier.

There’s colourful folklore everywhere in this stark country, as well as human history dating back 2,000 years. And excitement for Game of Thrones fans, too, with myriad tours of the filming locations on offer, some led by actors who appeared in the series.

This glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland is a unique sight. Shimmering under the great ice cap of Vatnajokull, the lagoon is filled with icebergs, which glint in a rainbow of icy colours, from snow white to translucent blue.

Simply wandering around the lagoon’s edges is an experience in itself, but the best way to explore is to hop on a guided boat cruise. Steering through the enormous icebergs allows you to see them up close and appreciate their shape and colours. Around the mouth of the lagoon, look out for seals diving for fish.

The icebergs are shards of the nearby Breidamerkurjokull glacier, which cleave off into the lagoon, and are pushed towards the sea as the glacier moves down the valley. It’s well worth walking down to the beach at the mouth of the Jokulsa river, where icebergs wash up onto the black volcanic sands. For obvious reasons, it’s dubbed Diamond Beach.

Unsurprisingly, Jokulsarlon is a favourite location for film crews: Lara Croft, Batman and James Bond are just a few of the big-name movies which have used it as a backdrop.

Reaching out into the icy ocean from Iceland’s west coast, this rocky, remote 100km peninsula offers a wealth of wilderness adventures.

It’s only a few hours’ drive from Reykjavik, but you’ll feel like you’ve reached the end of the earth here: with its deserted beaches, sheer cliffs, volcanic mountains and frozen lava flows, it offers an unforgettable snapshot of Iceland’s wild side.

It’s also topped by the shining expanse of Snaefellsjokull, a great ice cap which Jules Verne namechecked in Journey to the Centre of the Earth. And if you’ve always wanted to do a glacier walk, this is a fine location to do it.

This ranch-style hotel is perfectly located, and your best option, for exploring southwest Iceland.

There are seven bizarre but dazzling suites, taking the world’s continents as their themes and containing items from them all – apart from the Antarctica Suite, which is black and white like a penguin. Weird but wonderful.

There’s also an excellent restaurant in-house, serving locally-sourced food inspired by Nordic cuisine. The menu features plenty of Icelandic specialities, including smoked puffin (which tastes a bit like duck), Icelandic lamb, langoustines and skyr (a type of natural yoghurt) cheesecake. The salmon river provides wonderful fish too.

Located miles from anywhere, it’s a great spot for stargazing. The hotel has set up a special ‘observatory’ with a couple of high powered telescopes, and from September to April, on clear nights, a local astronomer visits to give talks about the stars, explaining the various constellations.

With Iceland being in the Aurora Belt, it’s also one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights in all their glory (when they decide to appear – most often between September and April). Stay for at least four nights to give yourself the best chance of seeing them.­ NB The hot tubs are perfectly placed for midnight dips and views of the Northern Lights.